Such present-day touch panel-controlled copiers and related MFP devices generally receive initializing information loaded at start-up time from an internal source. Thereafter, during run time, the touch panels are solely controlled by the information so pre-loaded into the internal computer of the copier or similar MFP device and controlled only from within the MFP device. Examples of such systems are current copiers from Canon, Toshiba, Xerox and others.
Some MFP devices may receive initializing information loaded into the internal computer from an external source at start-up time; but thereafter, during run time, the touch panels are solely controlled using only the information pre-loaded into the internal computer and information loaded at start-up time. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,150, as another illustration, the user interface touch panel of an MFP enhanced copier is modified, up-dated or initialized by preloading only when the copier is started, reset or restarted.
In accordance with the improvement of the present invention, on the other hand, far greater flexibility of UI control is attained, and with the added capability of enabling dynamic modification and expansion of information for control during run time. This enables updating and modifying of the user interface dynamically during run time, and is effected with a remote computer externally networked to the MFP internal computer; this, as distinguished from the sole internal computer control based upon and limited to information preloaded into the internal MFP copier computer itself. The invention, moreover, enables novel dynamic interaction over the network and during run time, between the MFP internal computer and the external, remote network computer.